The oriental teachings and healing techniques, including acupuncture and acupressure, have been followed and used for centuries. With the invent of modem medicine, people and medical professionals diverted their attention away from these ancient teachings in favor of chemical compounds. In the recent past, however, the pendulum has swung and the public, including medical professionals, have begun to recognize the values of these ancient teachings.
For obvious reasons, there is reluctance on the part of the public to practice the arts of acupuncture. It requires skill and a novice can do more harm than good. Further, there are significant and obvious issues of sanitation involved in needles that intrude human tissue. Therefore, a less intrusive method of acupressure has been widely favored by the public. It allows for a remedy without intrusion and for some it offers significant relief.
The principal of operation behind acupressure is the delivery of pressure to target tissue, limbs and/or organs. It is believed and in some instances scientifically accepted that the delivery of pressure to specific areas of the human anatomy generates a chemical process beneficial for purposes of pain relief or therapeutic treatment. Moreover, if one can deliver acute multiple pressure points to a given area of the body, the body's normal reaction is to increase the blood flow to that area, thereby stimulating the body's natural system for healing effected or sore tissue.
Although some of the benefits of acupressure have been known, acceptable instruments for delivery of the treatment are not available. In the prior art, the continuum between pressure to the acupressure appliance and pressure to the tissue has been linear because the prior art acupressure appliance directly delivered the pressure applied to it to the tissue. Thus a curve of pressure in to pressure at the tissue has heretofore been substantially linear. The desired end-effect is for an acupressure appliance to deliver the maximum pressure to at least one point of the body or tissue without harming the point at which it applies pressure. For example, a belt studded with fine needles provides for multiple points of acute pressure, however, the needles easily penetrate the skin and therefore are unacceptable acupressure elements.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,067 discloses an acupuncture treatment device comprising a flexible pad adapted to be pressed against a person's skin to stimulate blood circulation and safely relieve pain. However, the patented device does not address the shortcoming of applying too much pressure to the needle-like and knife-like protuberances. It is up to the user to monitor the pressure and prevent accidental harm.
Other U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,647, 5,607,749, 5,419,758, 5,740,304, 4,191,178, 4,383,342, 4,421,110, 5,158,073, 5,312,350 5,405,311, 4,694,831, 4,233,966 and 5,400,526 describe various means by which one or more pressure points is delivered to a specific area of the body to stimulate therapeutic response. However, no prior art or patent discloses a device that delivers multiple acute pressure points to tissue or area of a body with one or more protuberances in a way that terminates or mitigates the pressure to the tissue or skin short of injury, cutting or intrusion.